Oakbank jumps trials in slow motion0:25

Undergroundfighter leads eventual winner Spying on You over the final jump in the 2017 Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank. Picture: Tom HuntleySource:News Corp Australia

UNDERGROUNDFIGHTER is the rank outsider of Saturday’s Great Eastern Steeplechase but trainer Tony Rosolini is adamant the gelding is in even better shape than when he was narrowly beaten in last year’s Oakbank feature.

Undergroundfighter looked poised to cause a major upset last year when held a big break over the final jump before being run down by Spying on You in the final few strides of the 4950m race.

Undergroundfighter leads eventual winner Spying on You over the final jump in the 2017 Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank. Picture: Tom HuntleySource:News Corp Australia

The seven-year-old hasn’t shown much in five starts this preparation — including a steeple and hurdle outing — and Ladbrokes have marked him as the outsider of the six-horse Great Eastern field at $31 in first fixed-odds markets.

But Rosolini isn’t worried by the markets and is confident his charge is primed for a bold showing in the $160,000 test of stamina, which for the first time in almost 100 years has been moved from Easter Monday to Saturday.

“I’m quite happy if he’s the outsider and no one gives him a chance,” said Rosolini, a keen jumps racing enthusiast who only has a couple of horses in work at his Cranbourne base.

“To be quite honest, I think he’s actually going better this year than last year.

“He’s fit and feeling really good.

“He’s not much of a flat performer but he loves to jump and he can stay.

“A couple of the others are more brilliant than him but whether they can run out a strong 4950m is another thing. I know he will. The 4950m is what he’s looking for now.

“I think he meets Spying on You 3.5kg better than last year, too, and he only got beaten a half-length.

“I’ll school him over a half-dozen steeples on Thursday then he’ll be spot-on for Saturday.”

Patrick Payne’s Zed Em, a brilliant winner over the Von Doussa Steeplechase at Oakbank 10 days ago, is the clear-cut Great Eastern favourite at $1.75.

“Zed Em was impressive in the Von Doussa Steeplechase and he has since run well on the flat at Echuca,” Ladbrokes spokesman Tom Hackett said.

“He has two wins from as many starts at Oakbank and the Patrick Payne stable is absolutely flying, so it is no surprise that he has opened as an odds-on favourite.

“I’ll’ava’alf has been the best-backed runner early following his impressive victory at Warrnambool last time and his best form would have him right in this contest.

“The value runner does look to be Spying On You and I would be surprised if he doesn’t end up starting much shorter than his current price of $8.50.

“He won this race 12 months ago and he is the only horse in this field that is proven at this distance.

“He had excuses in the Von Doussa and can bounce back to his best form this weekend.”

It is shaping as a big day for Payne, with his smart jumper Angelology expected to be very hard to beat in the $100,000 Sugar Financial Services Classic Hurdle (3600m), which has attracted nine runners.

As well as the two jumps features, the nine-race Super Saturday program at Oakbank also includes the $100,000 Oakbank Stakes and $50,000 Oakbank Cup. The first race is scheduled for 12.30pm.